John John Florence: Legend in the making
Nearly two decades ago, a young surfer from Florida dared to stare in the eyes of the most intimidating names, determined to make earn the respect of the surfing community and announce himself as a future superstar. The kid ended up becoming a legend named
Kelly Slater, 11-time Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Champion, earning the title way more than any of his colleagues could even imagine.
While the reign of Slater continued despite the emergence of stars such as late Andy Irons, Mick Fanning and Taj Burrow, there were many who hoped to see more surfers embark on the journey to glory.
A great deal of talent has come under the spotlight in the recent years, names that promise to deliver a heavy dose of thrilling action for years to come, names such as Jordy Smith, Adriano de Souza and Owen Wright. However, the last few months have seen
a new surfer surfacing from what has become a huge pool of immense talent. This young athlete compels one to believe that he will eventually be one of the biggest sensations in the surfing world. Such are the hopes and expectations off John John Florence.
Florence, a 19-year-old young gun from Hawaii, has taken very little time to establish himself as one of the most fearsome opponent to face in mammoth-sized waves. The Pipeline-expert is adept at taming huge swells and making them dance to his music. Even
the most experienced of surfers, which include Slater, find themselves pushed to their limits while facing the young Oahu-based surfer in conditions that remotely resemble that at Banzai Pipeline, one of the most popular surf-break among the surfing elite.
Making his debut in the 2012 ASP World Title Series, Florence hardly took any time to make himself feel comfortable. Facing surfers with years of experience behind them, the young Hawaiian surfer hardly showed any signs of pressure and made the most challenging
of waves look like his personal playground, pulling off some of the most ferocious turns and barrels. The regular-footer has made it apparent from time to time that he is indeed a force to be reckoned with at any stage.
Rather than looking at his performances in the past, it would be more than sufficient to take a quick look at what he has already accomplished since the start of this year. Winning the very first event that he participated at the start of 2012, Volcom Pipe
Pro, Florence set up a momentum that he planned to continue for the rest of the year. Claiming top honours at the Telstra Drug Aware Pro, an ASP PRIME event, was yet another success that met the young Hawaiian this year. However, the biggest achievement for
Florence was his recent winning run at the third stop of the 2012 ASP World Tour, Billabong Rio Pro. Adapting exceptionally well to the waves on offer at Arpoador and Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro, Florence managed to keep the most formidable surfers at
bay to clinch the win and move to the No.5 spot on the World Title rankings.
There are indeed great things still expected of Florence as there is still plenty of surfing action yet to come this year. The Hawaiian surfer is clearly wasted no time in getting himself established as a fearsome competitor, striking fear in the hearts
of the most experienced of surfers.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely of the writer’s and do not reflect bettor.com’s official editorial policy.
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